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Tour de France Champion Alberto Contador Appears in Trouble

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After only two days of racing at the Tour de France, defending champion Alberto Contador appears to be in trouble. Photo Fotoreporter Sirotti.

Tour de France Champion Alberto Contador Appears in Trouble

After only two days of racing at the Tour de France, defending champion Alberto Contador appears to be in trouble.

said the fans should respect his rival for all his achievements.

Contador is one of only five riders to have won all three of the sport's Grand Tours: the Tour, the Giro and the Spanish Vuelta. A fourth Tour win would give him his seventh Grand Tour victory, tying him with Lance Armstrong, Miguel Indurain and Fausto Coppi. Only cycling legends Eddy Merckx (11), Bernard Hinault (10) and Jacques Anquetil (8) have won more.

"(Contador) has the right to race," Schleck said. "I have more supporters than him, but one has to respect the great riders. He is doing the same efforts as anyone else, and maybe more."

According to Garmin-Cervelo team manager Jonathan Vaughters, whose team claimed its first ever Tour win in the team time trial, Contador's capacity to bounce back will be conditioned by his fitness. Contador prepared for the Tour with a win at the Giro d'Italia in May which could have sapped his energy.

"It really depends where he is from a fitness standpoint," Vaughters said. "Honestly I think it's how well he keeps his head together, but he's a pretty impenetrable individual psychologically."